Grape and GrainWe play a bit of a game in wine class midway through term. One of the ways of helping students remember the character of a grape is to describe it as if it were a person. Some are easy;Cabernet Sauvignon; The Victorian Dad of the wine world. Can be a bit austere but dependable, has backbone and improves with ageSyrah; masculine, dark, brooding, has a rugged charm a bit like Antonio Banderas in a glassRiesling; elegant, lean, classy, misunderstood, Audrey Hepburn perhaps?Chardonnay; How can I put this… a bit of a girl. She’ll play any part you ask her to, from lean and elegant to big and blousyAll this playing around with grape varieties got me thinking about Whisky. What type of person would the whisky in my drinks cupboard be and as wine lover would I like them? We are often told that grape and grain don’t mix, descriptions are always of opposites like chalk and cheese or fire and water but why as they have so much in common?But you will end up with a blinding hangover if you have both I hear you say. Not necessarily, just like wine, where whisky is concerned less is more. A small glass of something delicious and interesting is infinitely preferable to a bottle of sugary, alcoholic grape soda! A wee dram of single malt to savour and enjoy rather than a double of firewater. Fine wine, like fine whisky is an art, it awakens all our senses, stops us in our tracks, makes us appreciate the magical alchemy of an agricultural crop being turned into the water of life. It stirs passion and loyalty, brings people together and often both require patience and time to experience them at their best.I feel certain a big testosterone fuelled Malbec would find much to respect and admire in the tarry masculinity of a Laphroig. As for myself (Grenache through and through) I find it hard to resist the seductive charm and elegance of a Glenmorangie. I can’t imagine that the soft, fudge and caramel sweetness of a Chardu 12yr old wouldn’t be appealing to an equally rotund and mouth filling Muscat.If wine and whisky were people I’d invite a wide mix to any party I was throwing.The fun loving party girl that is Pinot Grigio, the lothario that is Merlot, the sweet and welcoming Glayva, the intense and serious Lagavulin et al…. Who knows you might discover a match made in heaven.SlainteKaren@thewineacademy.co.uk
